The invention relates to an automated system and method for monitoring an employee""s performance in a production process and, in particular, to a system and method for providing direct employee accountability for the production process.
The performance of the production line associate, namely one individual or a group of individuals who are responsible for accomplishing the daily tasks of a production process, is commonly known to be integral to the overall success of the production organization. Much research, study and effort have focused on how to improve an associate""s productivity. Many management and organizational behavior theories emphasize that the key to increased associate performance is to create a work environment wherein the associate working on the production line carries a high degree of responsibility in ensuring that production of the complete product occurs smoothly, efficiently and successfully.
An approach currently pursued by organizations striving to create higher associate performance levels is the High Performance Organization (HPO). HPOs emphasize associate autonomy and the need for individual responsibility in the overall performance of the organization. HPOs are further characterized by a high degree of associate empowerment. Associates in HPOs control the pace of their own work, as well as determine the work that they want to perform. Associates make their own work assignments, create their own schedules and determine their own work procedures. HPO managers regularly provide feedback on how associates are performing. The practical goal of the HPO is to empower an associate or a team of associates to accomplish the organization""s day-to-day production operations without management intervention.
Myriad difficulties face the organization attempting to incorporate the HPO paradigm into the real-world work environment. Granted, the goal of the HPO is to empower associates so they can control the pace of their own work yet managers are often necessary to formulate work assignments. An organization may claim that associates decide what work they want to perform but supervisors are still required to ensure that the day-to-day production operations are successfully completed. The current layers of management are oftentimes so thick in an organization that feedback between managers and associates is stifled or delayed. Moreover, an organization""s information systems may be outdated or simply not adapted to allow associates to readily share important production data. Factors such as these impede the associate from developing a sense of personal responsibility for the overall performance of the organization.
A need therefore exists for a practical, efficient and effective way to make an associate more accountable for the successful operation of the production process and in an objective manner. A need correspondingly exists to significantly reduce or remove altogether management from the daily production process to empower an associate to become more accountable for the day-to-day operation of an organization""s production process.
The present invention links technology with the high performance culture to empower fully an associate in the performance of an organization""s production process. In accordance with the present invention, a computerized method is provided for obtaining a performance projection from an associate, inputting this projection into computer memory, obtaining actual performance data that corresponds to the associate""s actual performance in the production process, inputting this data into computer memory, and comparing the associate""s projected performance data with his actual performance data. In so doing, the computerized system and method of the present invention can place total accountability on the associate for the day-to-day operation of the production process and can do so in an objective manner, thereby eliminating the need for the traditional first-level production manager.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the projected performance data and the actual production performance data is rate of production data, production quality data, or process quality data.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, actual production data is obtained and inputted automatically on a real-time basis.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the associate""s projected performance data is periodically updated and input into computer memory.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a scorecard is generated reporting the comparison between the associate""s production performance projection and the associate""s actual production performance.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the associate""s actual performance data is compared to his projected performance and a scorecard is generated and periodically updated as actual performance data is updated.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a computerized method is provided for obtaining a performance projection from a plurality of associates, inputting this projection into computer memory, obtaining actual performance data that corresponds to the associates"" actual performance in the production process, inputting this data into computer memory, and comparing the associates"" projected performance data with their actual performance data.
In another embodiment of the invention, a scorecard is generated reporting the comparison between a plurality of associates"" production performance projection and the plurality of associates"" actual production performance.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a system for monitoring the performance of a production process is provided comprising computer memory for storing data, computer input means for an associate to input production performance projection data into computer memory, means to obtain actual production data, means to input actual production performance data into computer memory and means to compare the production performance projection data with the actual production performance data.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the means for inputting production performance projection data and actual production data comprises a computer terminal.
In another embodiment of the present invention, actual production data is obtained automatically by a production data collecting device on a real-time basis.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the data collecting device is configured to collect rate of production data, production quality data, or process quality data.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises structure to report the comparison between the actual production data and the production performance projection.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises structure to graphically output the comparison between the actual production data and the production performance projection.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises structure for comparing previous actual performance data with current performance data.